(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receiving apparatus that receives and accumulates broadcast contents in a storage medium such as a hard disc, and in particular relates to techniques for storing the contents accumulated in the storage medium into other devices so that the contents are available to users for a long period of time.
(2) Related Art
With the development of telecommunication techniques and multimedia-related techniques, active research and development of data accumulation-type broadcast systems have been made in recent years.
An accumulation-type broadcast system is mainly composed of a broadcasting apparatus and a receiving apparatus. The broadcasting apparatus broadcasts various contents, such as television programs, music, movies, games, and newspapers, and the receiving apparatus receives and accumulates the broadcast contents in a storage medium such as a large-capacity hard disc, so that the contents can be displayed or reproduced when requested by the user. Here, it is assumed that the contents broadcasted by the broadcasting apparatus are received by a number of receiving apparatuses each located distant from the broadcasting apparatus.
In such an accumulation-type broadcast system, a date and time when the user can start access to each content is basically determined beforehand. The broadcasting apparatus broadcasts each content before its determined data and time, so that the receiving apparatuses can receive and accumulate the content. Also, it is assumed that each receiving apparatus is installed in a house or the like and is connected to a television monitor, a video recording/reproducing device, an audio device, a personal computer, and the like, for displaying or reproducing the accumulated content. Here, the content is generally broadcasted after being compressed according to the MPEG (Moving Picture Coding Expert Group) standards or the like, depending on the type of the content. The receiving apparatus accumulates the compressed content in the storage medium, and decompresses the content when displaying or reproducing it.
The receiving apparatus successively receives contents designated by the user individually or according to channel or genre, and accumulates them into the storage medium, when the contents are broadcasted. However, as the capacity of the storage medium is finite, the amount of contents that can be accumulated is limited.
This makes it necessary to provide the receiving apparatus with a structure for deleting the accumulated contents based on a certain method, to secure a storage area for new contents. This deletion includes elimination of the accumulated contents by writing new contents into areas where the contents are recorded.
Accordingly, the receiving apparatus has the function of receiving contents and temporarily storing the received contents in the storage medium to provide them for the user.
This means that the user can utilize contents accumulated in the receiving apparatus only for a limited time period from when the contents are accumulated into the storage medium to when the contents are deleted from the storage medium.
Suppose a newspaper is broadcasted by the broadcasting apparatus every day and the receiving apparatus writes a newly received newspaper over a newspaper received and accumulated on the previous day. In such a case, the user cannot read the newspaper of the previous day once he or she receives the new newspaper.
Also, suppose the receiving apparatus successively receives and accumulates all contents broadcasted on one channel, based on a user indication including a channel designation, and that the receiving apparatus deletes, when a free space in the storage medium becomes insufficient, a content that has been accumulated for no less than one week since the content becomes available. In such a case, the user can utilize a content any time for at least one week. When one week passes, however, the user may not be able to utilize the content.
The above described disadvantage that the finite capacity of the storage medium limits the time period for the user to utilize the contents occurs not only in the receiving apparatuses in accumulation-type broadcast systems but also in any receiving apparatuses that have the functions of receiving and temporarily storing the contents to provide them for the user.
However, the user may want to utilize some contents substantially long after the contents are received and accumulated by the receiving apparatus.
In response to the above described user demand, the present invention has its principal object the provision of a receiving apparatus that receives broadcast contents and accumulates the contents in a storage medium, and stores the accumulated contents into other devices to make them available to the user for a long period of time. Another important object of the present invention is to provide a content storage method for use in the receiving apparatus and a control program that instructs to execute the content storage method.
The above object can be achieved by a receiving apparatus that receives and accumulates broadcast contents into a storage medium to make each content available to a user, comprising: a receiving/accumulating unit for receiving and accumulating the contents into a first storage medium; a deleting unit for deleting each content accumulated in the first storage medium; a designation accepting unit for accepting a designation of a content from the user; a transfer arranging unit for (a) judging whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and (b) arranging the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible; and a transferring unit for transferring the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium before the designated content is deleted, as arranged by the transfer arranging unit.
Here, deleting includes deleting a part of the content, or eventually eliminating the content by writing a new content over the content.
According to this construction, the contents accumulated in the first storage will be deleted some time as the capacity of the first storage medium into which contents are successively received and accumulated is limited. With a simple user designation of a content desired to be stored, however, the content is checked whether it can be transferred to another storage medium before deleted. When such transfer is possible, the transfer of the content is arranged and performed later. This enables the user to utilize the content any time even after it is deleted from the first storage medium.
Here, the second storage medium may be included in an external device that is connected to the receiving apparatus and that can be used by the user, the receiving apparatus may further comprise: the first storage medium; and a device information obtaining unit for obtaining device state information from the external device, the device state information showing whether the external device is in a content-storable state, the content-storable state at least including a state where the external device is not being used by the user, and the transfer ring unit transfers the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium included in the external device, when the device state information shows that the external device is in the content-storable state.
According to this construction, the content is transferred to the external device while the user is not using the external device, such as a D-VHS, connected to the receiving apparatus via the 1394 cable or the like. Namely, the content is transferred, effectively using an available time period of the external device. As a result of this, the user can utilize the content any time.
Also, the receiving apparatus may further comprise an interruption accepting unit for accepting an interruption indication from the external device, the interruption indication showing that the transfer of the designated content is to be suspended, wherein when the interruption accepting unit accepts the interruption indication, the transferring unit suspends the transfer, and resumes the transfer once the external device is back in the content-storable state.
According to this construction, in case the user uses the external device of the storage target during storage of the content, the storage of the content is performed later. Due to this, the content can be stored without burdening the user with another operation to indicate the storage of the content.
Here, the transfer arranging unit schedules the transfer of the designated content by setting a time when the designated content is to be transferred, in such a manner that the time does not overlap any time set for a content of a preceding designation accepted by the designation accepting unit, and the transferring unit transfers the designated content at the time set by the transfer arranging unit.
According to this construction, even when a plurality of contents are designated to be stored by the user, the transfer time of each content does not interfere.
Here, the time set by the transfer arranging unit is a start time and an end time of the transfer, the transfer arranging unit (a) sets the time so that the designated content can be transferred, based on a data amount of the designated content, and (b) divides the content into a plurality of parts and sets a start time and an end time of transfer of each part, when unable to set the time without overlapping the time set for the content of the preceding designation, and the transfer unit transfers each part during a time period between the start time and the end time set for the part.
According to this construction, even when the external device does not have a continuous available time long enough to store the content due to storage arrangement of the other contents, storage of the content is possible.
Also, when the external device is not in the content-storable state at the time set for the designated content by the transfer arranging unit, the transferring unit instructs the transfer arranging unit to set the time again.
According to this construction, in case the content cannot be transferred to the external device as initially arranged, the transfer of the content is performed later. Due to this, the content can be stored without burdening the user with another operation to indicate the storage of the content.
Also, the receiving apparatus may further comprise an expiry determining unit for determining an expiry date and time for each content accumulated in the first storage medium, the expiry date and time being a criterion for deleting the content, wherein the deleting unit deletes each content accumulated in the first storage medium after the expiry date determined for the content is passed, the transfer arranging unit arranges, when a user designation of a plurality of contents, out of the accumulated contents in the first storage medium, is accepted by the designation accepting unit, transfer of the designated contents so that the designated contents are transferred in an order of the expiry date determined by the expiry determining unit, and the transferring unit transfers the designated contents in the order arranged by the transfer arranging unit.
According to this construction, even when a large number of contents are designated to be stored, each content can be stored before deleted with higher probability.
Here, the receiving apparatus is connected to a plurality of external devices, the designation accepting unit further accepts a designation of one of the external devices from the user, the device information obtaining unit obtains the device state information from the designated external device, and the transferring unit transfers the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium included in the designated external device, when the designated external device is in the content-storable state, by referring to the obtained device state information.
According to this construction, the user can freely select an external device into which the content is to be stored.
Also, the receiving apparatus is connected to a plurality of external devices, and may further comprise: a device determining information storage unit for storing device determining information associating a data format of a content and external devices that are capable of processing the content of the data format; and a storage target device determining unit for determining an external device that is associated with a data format of the designated content as a storage target device, by referring to the device determining information, wherein the device information obtaining unit obtains the device state information from the external device that is determined as the storage target device, and the transferring unit transfers the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium included in the external device, when the external device that is determined as the storage target device is in the content-storable state, by referring to the obtained device state information.
According to this construction, the user is not required to designate a storage target device when designating a content desired to be stored, that is to say, the content desired to be transferred to another storage medium. The designated content is stored into an external device according to a data format of the designated content.
Here, the device determining information associates the data format of the content with the external devices, each external device being accompanied by a priority rating, and the storage target device determining unit (a) judges whether the second storage medium included in each of the external devices has a free space enough to store the designated content, in an order of the priority rating included in the device determining information, and (b) determines an external device with the highest priority rating as the storage target device, out of the external devices that are judged to have the free space enough to store the designated content.
According to this construction, the user is not required to designate a storage target device when designating a content desired to be stored. The designated content is automatically stored into an external device that has an enough free space.
Also, the receiving apparatus is connected to a plurality of external devices, and may further comprise: a device determining information storage unit for storing device determining information associating a genre of a content and external devices that are capable of processing the content of the genre, the genre showing a category of an entity of the content; and a storage target device determining unit for determining an external device that is associated with a genre of the designated content as a storage target device, by referring to the device determining information, wherein the device information obtaining unit obtains the device state information from the external device that is determined as the storage target device, and the transferring unit transfers the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium included in the external device, when the external device that is determined as the storage target device is in the content-storable state, by referring to the obtained device state information.
According to this construction, the user is not required to designate a storage target device when designating a content desired to be stored. The designated content is stored into an external device according to a category of an entity of the designated content.
Here, the transferring unit determines bandwidth used to transfer the designated content, by referring to external device information, the external device information showing a capability of the external device to which the designated content is to be transferred, and transfers the designated content using the bandwidth.
According to this construction, the content can be transferred at the transfer speed suitable for the external device, depending on its processing capability. Therefore, the content can be transferred in a short period of time when the external device has a high processing capability.
Also, the receiving apparatus may further comprise a notification unit for notifying the user of a completion of the transfer when the arranged transfer of the designated content is completed.
According to this construction, the user can be notified that the storage of the content is completed.
Also, when the designated content is yet to be received by the receiving/accumulating unit, the transfer arranging unit arranges to start the transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium as soon as the receiving/accumulating unit receives and accumulates the designated content in the first storage medium.
According to this construction, the user can arrange storage of the content before the content is broadcasted, so that the user can utilize the content stored in an external device of a storage target after the content is broadcasted.
Here, the designation accepting unit does not accept a user designation of a content that includes copy prohibition information indicating to prohibit a copy of the content, and accepts a designation of a content which does not include the copy prohibition information.
According to this construction, the content which is prohibited from being copied is not transferred from the storage medium into which the content is accumulated, to another storage medium.
Also, the receiving apparatus may further comprise the first storage medium, wherein the second storage medium is included in an external device that is connected to the receiving apparatus and that can be used by the user, and the transfer arranging unit (a) judges whether the external device has a function relating to a copy restriction when the designated content includes copy restriction information indicating to restrict a copy of the content, and (b) arranges the transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium included in the external device only when judging that the external device has the function relating to the copy restriction.
According to this construction, the copy restriction can be thoroughly performed for the content which is restricted to be copied, such as the content which is permitted to be copied only once.
The above object can also be achieved by a content storage method for use in a receiving apparatus that receives and accumulates broadcast contents into a first storage medium to make each content available to a user, the content storage method comprising: a deleting step for deleting each content accumulated in the first storage medium; a designation accepting step for accepting a designation of a content from the user; a transfer arranging step for (a) judging whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and (b) arranging the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible; and a transferring step for transferring the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium before the designated content is deleted, as arranged in the transfer arranging step.
According to this construction, the contents accumulated in the first storage will be deleted some time as the capacity of the first storage medium into which contents are successively received and accumulated is limited. With a simple user designation of a content desired to be stored, however, the content is transferred to another device before deleted. This enables the user to utilize the content any time.
The above object can also be achieved by a control program for making a receiving apparatus perform a content storage process, the receiving apparatus receiving and accumulating broadcast contents into a first storage medium to make each content available to a user and including a central processing unit, the control program comprising: a deleting step for deleting each content accumulated in the first storage medium; a designation accepting step for accepting a designation of a content from the user; a transfer arranging step for (a) judging whether transfer of the designated content from the first storage medium to a second storage medium before deletion of the designated content is possible, and (b) arranging the transfer of the designated content when judging that the transfer is possible; and a transferring step for transferring the designated content from the first storage medium to the second storage medium be fore the designated content is deleted, as arranged in the transfer arranging step.
According to this control program, the user is able to utilize contents that the user designates any time, out of the contents received by the receiving apparatus.